Chair



March M 1924;; 'i

.1. A. TALLMAN CHAIR Filed March 20, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l /N VEA/70H JaH/g/ YZQLLMAN WITNESSES A TTOHNE YS March n, w24;

www@ J. A, TALLMAN CHAIR Filed March 2o. 1923 5 sheets-sheet 2 JWM A nok/vf rs Mas-ch H 1924;

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J. A. TALLMAN CHAIR Filed March 20. 1923 5 Slmetsheefl I N VEN TOR ATTORNEYS lemme-"a Mari 11,1924,V j

JOH'N`ATLEE TALLMAN, 0F .T0L'EID0,I OmU.

I v A :s i

appumion-meamrcnao,192s. serial No. 626,335'. l

To all whom t may concer/n.'

" Beit known vthat I, JOHN A. TALLMAN,

a citizen of the United States, and a-resident of Toledo', in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, ,have invented a .certain new and Improved .Chair, of which the following'is a full,'clear, and exact description.

` p This invention provides a childs chair, of

the type compri ing essentially a seat memi ber and a supe tructure comprising back and'. side retainers for the seat member.

' The prime obj" ct. ofthe invention is to provide such a cair, and one wherein the child, may "be comfortably and for comparatively lo periods of time conined to the chair, pre eralily by means of a .retain- 'ing structure including a tray to he over the childs lap and of the familiarv kmd for carrying toys, food or the like forthe child,

but -said confining means comprising essentially a niain element of the 'confining combination including a slidable stock struc--l l rturek or stocks, that is to say, a board or the l1ke, preferabl vertically adjustable in guiding ways an having a ca vity 1n its lower edge to take about the thighs of the child. As the invention is preferably 1 carried out, this stock structure'has a plurality of such cavities, one Jfor taking each thi of the child at a point just in Aback of t e knee-ca Anot er object ofthe invention is to provide a chair as just characterized, in which such-stock. structure, inaddition to being i5 vertically 'slidable to ada t the' same perfectly to children of-di erent ages, slzes, and leg dimensions, is readily removable with its ways' from in front of the child, as by swinging such parts, to perm'ta child 40` to be easily seatedon the chair r taken ltherefrom. n l

A .further object 1s to provlde a chair having an adjustable stocky structure las above, and one wherein the tray or the like,

if forming a part of the chair, is carried by preferablyA horizontal tracks or` ways or other `e'iljuivalents, so as to v'be adjustable relativeftof'the lap of the child and so as to be slidably vremovable from its guiding V150 means.

A `further object is to provide a chair as i described lin ithe last paragraph, and one' wherein the *tray or the like maynot accidentally be pushed from the chair by the i5' child while the latter is occupying the chair.

A further object of .the invention is to `provide aI chair having a vertically adjustable 'stock structure, and with 'suchstock @structure forming apart,y of Va confining means which may be wholly swung away or otherwise removed from the front of the child, and a chair wherein means are provided to the end that' thev tray may. be removed from the chair only when the contiining means including the stock structure 1s thusswung awa or otherwise displaced l from its child-confining position.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in combination with certain of the elements ofthe invention las above mentioned, a false back forthe back retainer of the superstructure, and one readilyl adjustable and so adjustable in such manner as to always lie 'in correct posture-creating position, thus to co-operate with the vertical adjustment of the stock structure in precisely positioning the child upon the chair.

Still another object ofthe mventionis to provide with the child-confining device or devices at the forepart of the chair, simple and conveniently manipulable instrumentalities for locking'the relatively adjustable part or partsvas adjusted to a particular child, and yet to provide such locking instrumentalities ofsuch types or in such locations that the same cannot be tampered with bythe child while occupying the chair. Still a further-object of the invention is to' provide a chair generally as hereinabove explained, or to incorporate certain or all of the advantages thereof, but a chair so constructed and designed as to be of' great ruggedness and durability, of long life in use, and of great range of adjustabllity, and capable of being manufactured and sold at a minimum fi re.

It will be understood that while the present invention may be embodied in connection with anyiece of furniture in whichy the child; may e seated,`as a high-chair babywalker, seat-swing, or any bench or stool lixed or movable, the invention is of particu- `lar value and importance when used as a vpart of a childs commode; and the times when a child is seated on the latter article of nursery equipment are, ofcourse, the occasions when the child must be held, securely yet comfortably, and sometimes for a prolonged period, in the chair.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed "description when taken in 'connection with V,the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification; with the understanding, however, that such drawing illustrates, merely by way of example, one possible embodiment of the invention, and that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with-the showing in the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In these drawings: f Fig. 1 is a vertical section, taken through said embodiment, this view being a section on the line 1--1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of said chair,

partially shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the chair, also partially broken away and partially in section;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, being a horizontal section taken on line H of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 5 to 9 are fragmentary views, i-llustrating a modification. i

Referring first to the structural details of Figs. 1 to 4., supported by a set of legs 5 or other suitable understructure, is a seat member 6. Above this seat member is permanently carried a superstructure of a more or less conventional type, if desired; the same here including a back retainer, or main back 7, and side retainers, or arms, 8.

In the particular type of chair shown, a shelf 9 may be carried as a rigidifying brace and for a purpose which will be understood.

The stock structure is here shown las a single vertically slidable member 10, the opposite side edges of which take iny U-shaped ways afforded by two vertical extensions 11 (Fig. 4) depending from a tray-carrying structure 11 (Fig 2).

Atthis point detailed listing of component members may be interru ted, to explain that the present embodiment is directed toward showing, thereby to satisfy one of the objects of the invention, a chair in which the more important, if not all of the arts are of .metal rather than of wood. ven though the more or less conventional parts V5, 6, 7 8 and 9 ofthe chair are of wood, it is 'strongly recommended that the other parts described and to be described be constructed of metal. Thus it will be seen that 'certain of the Darts being broken away and stock structure 10 is webbed as best disclosed in Fig. 2, so that the same may constitute in. the main a thin sheet-metal messia enameled, before being attached to and assembled with the other parts.

This casting 11 has each of its depending vertical extensions 11, as shown best in Fig. 4, shaped at their Aouter sides as dove-tails 11b to act as sliding block-portions in dovetail grooves in the facing sides of a pair of vertically extending bar members 12; all as will be best seen from a comparison of Figs. 2-and 4.. One of these bar members is hingedly connected, as at14,'tovthe forward post 8u of one of the side or arm structures 8. A pivot latch 15 is mounted by a central screw on the forward Vpost of the opposite arm structure 8. Thus, this latch affords a means, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, whereby the entire forward confining structure is securely locked in position across Ithe front of the chair, andbeyond tamper-reach of the child, and yet so as to permit casting 11 to be adjusted by a vertical sliding movement, and to permit stock structure 10 to be adjusted independently by a similar movement.

Stock structure 10 is 1n the present case provided with a pair of concavities marked 16 in Fig. 2, up from its lowermost edge; and to increase the niceties of possible adjustments and to further the comfort of the child, the seat 6 may be provided with the pair of recesses or depressions marked 17 in Fig. 2.

The purpose of the vertical slidabilitytof the casting 1l is to precisely set the tray' at the level desired, based-on the size and torso proportions of the child.-

Such trav-is indicated at 18, and is pref,- erably made out'of a pressed. and shaped .sheet of metal, f which finished sheet is enameled.

l The tray has extended and hooked-overand-under side portions marked 18a in Fig.` 2, for retaining the same on a pair of horizontal rails 19 suitably secured to the top of the casting 11 as clearly shown in the drawings. According to this construction, the tray cannot be lifted from the rails 19, but to be removed therefrom, must be slid along said rails.

In order to preclude loss of the tray by a forward pushV en-the same exerted by a child in the chair, the tray carries beyond the trayproper marked 18 in Fig. '3, and near its rear edge, a pair of depending pins one of which ismarked 20 in Fig. 3. Thus it will be seen that these pins lie in the lines of prolongation of rails 19; and so, when the tray is pushed a certain distance forward on the rails, the pins strike the inner ends of the rails land stop all further relative movement between tray and rails. In other words, the tray Acan be slid free of the rails by moving the tray in a direction to separate pins 20 and said rails; and this can occur only if a child is not in the chair andthe various dimensions of the parts permit, or,

. nascere as ispreferable, when `the latch of Fig. 2 is turned to releasing position and all the parts supported by the hinges 14 are swung inthe direction of the arrow 21- of Fig. 3.

Various devices for locking the stock structure as adjusted relative to the castin 11, for adjustin the casting 11 as adjuster?l relative to the ar member 12, and for locking fthe tra 18 as adjusted relative to the rails 19 fixe on the casting 11, are rovided, in

the present case in the shape of nob-headed pinch-screws 22 as shown and as will be readily understood. It will be observed that 'all of these devices, withl the exception of the one carried b the tray, are beyond tamper-range of t e child; and yas to the last-mentioned device, a releasing of the same by the child will give him a license to shift the tray very little, and that never to an extent suiicient to remove the tray wholly froml over his lap. l

In order to increase the possibilities of precisely and comfortably placing the 'child m the chair, back retainer 7 is equipped with 'a false back 23 adjustable by' means of the knobbed ends 24 of upper and lower` screws 24, the opposite ends of said screws havin ballv and socket connections 25 with the fa se back 23 as shown in Fig. 1 and as will be readily understood. Such connections permit the false back to be variously it may 9 is a fragmentary v .specially shaped com ine --tractive a pearance and of comparatively light weig t and low expense, even when constructed mainlyv or entirely of enameled metalware'; which latter t pe of construction is very desirable from the sanitary standl5to9ofthe 'poin.

Referring finally to Fi drawings, these Lviews being as aforesaid fragmentary views showing a modification, t be explained, although probably obvious l m the drawings, that Figs. -5 and 6 correspond to the central showing'of Fig. 2, except that in the case of Fig. 5 the saine is not partially broken awa and par- ;tially in section, and that in t e case of Fig. 6 the stock-structure 10 is shown elevated. As to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical seetion, taken on line 8 -8 of Fig. 6, v/vhile Fig. ers tive view of a nel inember 13 secured upright against the inner side face ofthe forward post of the angle and chanleft-hand side retainer or arm 8, in substitution for the member 13 of the embodiment of Fig. 1. A moments inspection of Fig. 4 will best recall the structure and function of. said member 13, as also the 'necessity of providing the dovetail construction ind1cat' ed in Fig. 4 at 11a and 11b. And it, may be added at this point, now referring back to the modification of Fi 5 to 9, that the modified member 13 eliminates entirely the necessity -for any such dovetail construction. This is so because, said member 13 being suitably anchored in place to arm 8 as just stated, as by suitable.l screws ap lied through counter-sunk openings .simi arto that marked 26 in Fig. 9, stock-structure 10, when located as in Fig. 5, may not be swung away to clear the chair front and on its hinges 14, until the stock-structure is elevaed to the position shown in-Fig. 6; and then the stock structure may be swung as last mentioned, but without any necessit structure to transport. wit' it said member 13.

This arrangement of parts whereby it is absolutely impossible .to attempt to swing stock-structure 10 on its hinges 14 until the structure is elevated as shown in Fig. 6, may be a very desirable one; as thereby is pre- ;cluded the ossibility or even probabilityl oi pinching t e childs legs an child.

In orderv that when stock-structure 10 is hurting the elevated to the position of Fig. plreparatory to Swingin' the same on its ges 14 said stock-strucure will be positively held elevated, the following arts are rovided, as shown most clearly 1n i 6 an 8. @Projected into the way provlded by u right member 12," is the free endof a late pin 27, this pin having a portion located between a collar 28 and a pullhead 2.9, pass through a hollow boss 30, in the interior o which boss is also an expansile coil spring 31 acting between Icollar 28 and the inner end of a screw block 31. It will be seen that on elevating stock-structure 10 to the position of Fig. 6,l the pin 27 is snapped the position shown in Fig. 8'; but when 1t 1s desired subsequently to drop the stock-structure, to adjust the latter about the thighs of a child, a pull on head 29 retracts pm 27 against sprin 31, and the stock structure either drops y gravity or may be easily lowered for the adjustment reqiured.

Further variations may of course be .resorted to within the` scope of the following claims.

' I claim:

1. In a chair for a child, the combination with a seat member and a superstructure comprising-back and side retainers for such seat member, of an auxiliary su erstructure adjustable onthe first-mention superstructure, a Atray struc horizontally slidable for the stockino on said auxiliary superstructure, and a stock structure vertically) slidable on said auxiliary superstructure.

2. In a chair for a child, the combination with a seat member and superstructure comprising back and side retainers for such seat member, of an auxiliary superstructure adjustable on the first-mentioned superstructure, and a tray structure horizontally slidable on said auxiliary superstructure, said auxiliary structure being hingedly mounted on a vertical axis on th irst-mentioned superstructure.

3. In a chair for a child, the combination with a seat member and a superstructure comprising back and side retainers for Such seat member, of a removable means for con-l ning the child in the chair against leavin the same in a direction away from the bac retainer, said means including a stock structure, a mount for the stock structure, a horiseat member, of a removable means for conf' lining the child in the chair a ainst leavin the same in a direction away rom the bac retainer, said means including a enerally Vertical structure hingedly mounte` along a substantially vertical line relative to one of the 'side retainers, a stock structure Vertically slidable on said Vertical structure, a generally horizontal structure carried by the vertical structure, and a tray on and sli"- able along said horizontal structure.

5. rl`he chair defined in claim 4, wherein said horizontal structure is further Vertically slidable on said vertical structure.

JHN ATLEE TALLMAN. 

